style="margin-left: inherit; font-size: medium;" |Springfield

City motto	"A Noble Spirit Embiggens the Smallest Man", "Corruptus in Extremis"
Founded	Unknown; before 1649
Incorporated	1796
Founder	Jebediah Springfield
Mayor	Joe Quimby
Congressional Representatives	Bob Arnold (expelled), Horace Wilcox (deceased), Herschel Schmoikel Krustofski
Area	2,088,723 km² (West Springfield is three times the size of Texas)
Population  -City pop.  -Density	65,500 1.50/km²
Elevation	1582 feet above sea level
Area Codes	636 & 939
Main Industries	Nuclear Power, heavy manufacturing, Duff Beer, Retail, boxes, fudge, fireworks, crackers, Animated Media
Official Bird	Potbellied Sparrow

Springfield is the fictional city in which the TV series The Simpsons is set. It is located near Shelbyville and Capitol City in a state whose name is never mentioned. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with any specific state.

Founded in 1796 by Jebediah Springfield, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one nuclear power plant; a (vaguely Protestant) Church; two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School and East Springfield Elementary School); Springfield University; several museums; a 'Knowledgeum'; a minor league baseball stadium; an airport; an ocean harbor and Squid Port; a waterfront casino; a downtown district; Springfield Gorge; several massive mountains, including the 'Murderhorn'; a dog track (Springfield Downs); a large tire yard (currently on fire); a ghetto; a Russian district; its own Little Italy and Greek Town; an entirely Jewish neighborhood; Moe's, a bar run by Moe Szyslak; many interesting restaurants, including 'The Texas Cheesecake Depository' and 'Professor P. J. Cornucopia’s Fantastic Foodmagorium and Great American Steakery'; and Barney's Bowl-A-Rama, a bowling alley run by Barney Gumble's uncle.

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to the rivalry that existed between their founders -- Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville broke away with his supporters and founded a rival town. (The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.).

History and Economy

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Thus, Springfield was founded in 1796 by English settlers who were trying to find a passage to Maryland after mis-interpreting a passage in the Bible. In its early days, the city was the target of many Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including Fort Springfield and Fort Sensible). It was also the site of at least two battles during the American Civil War (see Battle of Springfield (The Simpsons) for more information).

The founder of Springfield was the pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and patriotic American hero. He famously tamed a wild buffalo and killed a bear with his bare hands, and his deeds are immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. (Revisionist historians have since determined that the bear actually killed Springfield, but this has been deemed to be mean-spirited 'fact-mongering'). The town motto, "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to the cromulent Jebediah. (Lisa Simpson once discovered that 'Jebediah Springfield' was actually just the alias of Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but she eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings. Hollace Hurlbutt, the local antiquarian, supported her decision, if only because it meant that Jebediah's silver tongue could remain a fetching cowboy model in his museum).

In the mid-20th century, the city reached the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city was truly 'On the GROW' (look out, Utica!) and its streets were (literally) paved with gold. But, unfortunately, as related in the Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots. The town never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many animal herds), but some heavy manufacturing remains in the town, including several factories producing and processing foodstuffs: 'Ah! Fudge' chocolate; 'Southern Cracker' and 'Allied Biscuit' snacks; and peanuts, though this last industry has been ransacked at least once by a hungry elephant. Duff Beer employs many local people, though its competitor, Fudd, has some market-share, too. Fireworks are assembled in Springfield, and millions of boxes are produced (though these not finished before being shipped to in Flint, Michigan). At one point, there was a major 'Spirograph' factory in the town, but this has closed down. Springfield is also the proud home of a (flaming) steel mill. The town's largest employer is probably the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but Bart Simpson's antics angered representatives from the IOC. It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, but Abraham Simpson attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

In Bart-Mangled Banner, Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.

Geography and climate

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Geography

Springfield's geography includes mountains, gorges, giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include Springfield Gorge, Springfield National Forest, Mt. Springfield, Springfield Harbor, the Springfield Badlands or 'Alkali Flats', the Murderhorn (a homage to the Matterhorn), Mount Doom (an evil hideaway owned by Doctor Colussus), Springfield Glacier, Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore.

Cityscape

The city is divided into a number of districts, including Skid Row, the Lower East Side (a Jewish district), Springfield Heights, 'Bum Town', East Springfield, Recluse Ranch Estates, Junkieville, Pressboard Estates, South Street Squidport, Little Newark, Crackton, a Russian district, West Springfield, Tibet Town, Greek Town, Little Italy, and a gay district. For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division an encircling wall. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman Kent Brockman, and bullies such as Nelson Muntz, was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall of refuse that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while Homer Simpson ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united during a wall-shattering concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy loads and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. (Homer Simpson has been spotted driving along it with a massive grand piano strapped to the roof of his car as his chain-covered tires gouged the road, yelling "look at that pavement fly!" and giggling like a school-girl.) Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them, including a popcorn truck that exploded on impact and filled the pothole with a delicious, buttery snack.

Towns near Springfield (within driving distance or close enough to be included in local news) include North Haverbrook, Shelbyville, Ogdenville, Brockway and Cranford. Some of these apparently hold 'fairs' from time to time, at which it might be possible to win a dog.

In many episodes, the cityscape is changed. Skyline shots of the city vary from episode to episode. Some will have towering skyscrapers downtown, other times it's just tiny stores. The cityscape and skyline change frequently in any Simpsons video games, however are never regarded as the normal cityscape. Buildings frequently change position in each episode.

Climate

Springfield is evidently located in an area that receives plenty of rain, as well as heavy snow. Most of the time however, the skies are blue and mostly sunny. Springfield has also been prone to from time to time severe heatwaves.

Springfield is close to a major body of water that is open to the ocean, and close to a major mountain range. It is also situated on a major river, which has cut a deep gorge. It has been subject to just about every sort of natural disaster over the years, including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and a (surprisingly feeble) meteor impact. The Simpsons have coped with these and survived them all, even though Homer has often been injured by them (most especially when he has been the cause of them).

Pollution

According to the Are We There Yet? Guide to Springfield, visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete, lead and graphite but by ordinary plaster and a horseshoe hanging from a nail. It is so dangerous that Mr. Burns (the owner and proprietor of the Nuclear Plant) built an escape pod for his own personal use in case of a nuclear meltdown. (In fact, this pod was launched once during an event mistakenly interpreted to be a nuclear meltdown, and it is unknown if it was replaced). Plant management apparently gives employees benefits for quietly and cleverly disposing of nuclear waste; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. International law forbids shipping fresh produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible 'hum'. Springfield is also home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 40 years (as of 2006) which does nothing to improve the air quality.

At one point, Homer was elected to head the city's waste disposal. However due his expensive budget (almost entirely caused by his purchase of brand new garbage trucks for the city), the town was forced to take in the garbage of other cities in order to make enough money to pay the city's trash collectors. Eventually the caves that were storing the collected trash overflowed throughout the city, causing the population and all of the town's buildings lift stakes and move to yet another undisclosed location, the 'new' Springfield.

People and Culture

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The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America. It is often portrayed as a small town of limited cultural value, despite several seemingly major attractions (see Arts and Entertainment, below). Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income (excluding the nefarious, extravagant Montgomery Burns, Lindsey Naegle, Dr. Hibbert, Ranier Wolfcastle, Kent Brockman, Mayor Quimby and his extended Kennedy-esque family, the "Well, I never!" woman, and the other members of the exclusive Springfield Golf and Country Club).

In one episode, the "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, a proto-liberal is disgusted by this activity, and encourages the people of Springfield to end the 'tradition' with the aid of soul singer Barry White.

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by Dr. Hibbert, it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. TIME magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and Newsweek has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even more stupid and more backward (possibly due to their universal, unnatural attraction to their cousins). There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable for new residents. It usually takes about six weeks for them to adjust. (Cities near pulp mills, such as Lewiston, Idaho or Springfield, Oregon, have a similar problem; though no pulp industry has been mentioned, Springfield does have at least one pork rendering facility.) Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system. Springfield was rated the 300th most livable city, and when Mensa members took over town, it moved up to 299, ahead of East St. Louis; although when Mensa came in, some long-term residents remarked, "Well, there goes the neighborhood."

Obesity has been several times a joke on the show. It is even stated in "Sweets and Sour Marge" that Springfield is "the world's fattest town."

Demographics

Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the Simpson, Flanders and Van Houten families, Groundskeeper Willy, Uter), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, Carl), Latinos (Bumblebee Man), South Asians (Apu and his family, "Two Guys From Kabul") and East Asians (Cookie Kwan, Akira).

There is a large economic gap between wealthy citizens such as Krusty the Clown and Mr. Burns (whom Forbes estimates is worth $8.4 billion without taking into account the trillion dollar bill), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel). The population is estimated to be about 40,000-50,000.

In the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields", Marge states that Springfield's population has grown so much that the city has been split into 2 area codes. Half the city retains the original 636, and the other half has a new 939 area code.

Crime

There are a number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, Springwood Minimum Security Prison, Springfield Women's Prison, and Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. There is also a psychiatric-care facility named 'Calmwood'. The Springfield Police Department, led by Police Chief Clancy Wiggum, is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization. Most of the time, it seems to have only three members (Wiggum, Lou and Eddie), though, when Marge herself joined the force, many other cops were shown, if only as they laughed at her and stole poorly-tailored jeans from the Simpson's 'car-hole'. On two occasions in the town's history, police duties have been removed from the Springfield Police Department. On the first occasion, they were handed over to a posse of drunken vigilanties, led by Homer Simpson, in order to better protect the 'World's Largest Cubic Zirconia' from a clever and charming cat-burglar. On the second occasion, they were transferred to the security company 'Springshield', which was run by Homer Simpson, with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl. Most of the organized crime in town is controlled by Sicilian mob boss Fat Tony and his cronies; however, the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers and have fought at least one turf war with the Italians.

Arts & Entertainment

Springfield boasts an opera house, an outdoor amphitheater, an arboretum, a vibrant jazz scene and was once mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of museums, including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), Springfield Knowledgeum, Springfield Museum of Natural History, Springsonian Museum, and a stamp museum. Springfield was once home to a Concert Hall, but this was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary.

Media

The city paper is The Springfield Shopper. KBBL studios serves as the major media outlet. Indeed, the most popular TV station is KBBL-TV (Channel 6), with Kent Brockman, Scott Christian and Arnie Pie ('in the Sky') on the news. KBBL is also the station on which Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Mel perform their long-running comedy show. Bill & Marty do the morning show on KBBL radio. Alternatively, Channel Ocho is a spanish-language channel featuring the Bumblebee Man, who keeps the Latino audience in stitches with his slapstick soap-opera.

Religion

Religion and faith play a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the First Church of Springfield, a 'Presbylutheran' church headed by the Reverend Timothy Lovejoy. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi Hyman Krustofski), a mosque, a Catholic church ('The Cathedral of the Downtown'), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the back room of his Kwik-E-Mart and presumably worships there.

In the episode "The Joy of Sect," many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud. According to Reverend Lovejoy in "The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield" by Matt Groening, there has also formed an alliance of people who initially split off from the Presbylutherans to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod. Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are all practicing Buddhists. There is also a 'Stonecutters Lodge' in town (currently re-named "The Ancient Society of No-Homers,"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member. It provides a cerain amount of mystical instruction, in addition to weekly rib-nights, beer-fests and ping-pong tournaments.

The town government is entirely secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. (An episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property.) In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" Superintendent Chalmers fired Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "Thank the Lord!" over the PA system, in contravention of the American Public School prohibition on prayer. Although there is evidence to indicate that due to a presence of Amish, those who build Bart's treehouse, Springfield could be in Pennsylvania and the Van Outen family mention a Mechaninchsburg, of which Pennsylvania has one.

Sports

There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the Springfield Isotopes AA baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the real life minor league baseball eventually changed their name to the Isotopes), the Springfield Speedway, a Monster Truck Rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the Springfield Atoms football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-otopes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a dog track.

There are also many intramural options available to children, including youth hockey and volleyball.

Infrastructure

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Government

The current mayor of Springfield is Democrat Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician who once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies and pay for his acquittal. He was briefly thrown out in favor of Sideshow Bob Terwilliger, but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to some 'missing' lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Julius Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy, and Prof. Frink) took over. They changed all of the clocks in town to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the list of Top-300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was once represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for 'massive corruption'. However, in the episode "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington," Horace Wilcox is stated to have been congressman since 1933. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still a representative, as of the episode "The Ziff Who Came To Dinner."

Laws, Statutes, and Propositions

Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult").

There are a number of unusual statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true" and "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling".

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% at the end of "Much Apu About Nothing." (However, nearly all immigrants managed to gain citizen status before the law came into effect, with the sole exeption of Willy). Marge and her family successfully lobbied to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots-voter initiative, passed in "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays." In "Three Gays of the Condo," there is a billboard put up by Patty and Selma advocating "yes" on Proposition 104: "Homer Out of Springfield".

Education

There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including a pre-school (Ayn Rand School for Tots), two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), a junior high school, and a high school. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately-named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found here.

Transportation

Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway), the (incomplete) Matlock Expressway, Interstate 95, Route 202, and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, an abandoned aquaduct, and an Escalator to Nowhere. There was also a solar-powered monorail for a brief time, but this was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage.

The city bus-service provides public transit on the Route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday. There is also another route, the 108, as seen in Future-Drama.

There is also a subway system, most likely a long-distance system, like the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, with a station at Third Street. The actual system has never been shown on the show, but mentioned in asides.

Where is Springfield?

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The uncertain location of Springfield is a long-running joke in the series, based on the fact that 34 states in the United States have at least one community with that name (several have more than one). Episodes frequently make fun of the fact that Springfield's state has never been revealed, by adding further conflicting descriptions, obscuring onscreen map representations, and interrupting conversational references. The exact geographic location of Springfield is much disputed, but many episodes make it clear that Springfield exists in some non-existent state, and not one of the actual 50 that exist in the real world. It is perhaps best to say that the fictional Springfield is set in a fictional state, in a fictional, yet surprisingly-realistic, version of the United States.

A web page discussing Springfield's location states that due to the many contradictory clues, it is impossible for Springfield to exist in any set location ^*.

Regardless, the following comparisons of the Simpsons' Springfield to real locations have been made.

In one episode, Homer starts to take marijuana, and his doctor says it is legal to take marijuana for medical reasons. This narrows the search down to 11 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Furthermore, Springfield must be north of the Mason-Dixon line, (as Springfield troops are seen wearing the blue uniforms of the Union Army in two episodes) and must be in one of the 9 states where George H. W. Bush claims residency. (Often pointed out as a key bit of information, you can get ten cents for recycled bottles in Springfield, and Michigan is the only state to offer this amount.) Also, in "Sweets and Sour Marge" Mr. Burns suggests to Homer about smuggling sugar from south of the border, where Homer unknowingly replies "Oh you mean Tennessee?" inferring that the Simpsons might also live in Kentucky. Burns of course meant in Mexico, where drugs and immigrants are smuggled from.

Oregon

Matt Groening, the creator of the Simpsons, grew up in Eugene, Oregon. From Groening's childhood perspective, Springfield, Oregon was "the next town over". Groening also lived in Portland, Oregon. The show contains several references to features in Portland - Terwilliger Street (Robert Onderdonk Terwilliger a.k.a. Sideshow Bob is a recurring villain), Lovejoy Street and Park (Reverend Timothy Lovejoy is the pastor of the Simpsons' church, etc. Portland is also home to 'Northeast Flanders St.' The signs for this street, naturally, say 'NE Flanders St.' Some people have vandalized them to say 'NED Flanders St.'

Many fans of The Simpsons believe Springfield, Oregon to be the Springfield of the show. This holds some merit considering the time show creator Matt Groening spent in the area growing up and other evidence. For instance, a popular park bears a striking resemblance to the fictional Springfield's town square. Springfield, Oregon also has a blue collar industrial base. The similarities continue, especially when one considers the adjacent "higher-brow" university town of Eugene, Oregon to be the 'real' Shelbyville.

On the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, a "Pioneer Statue" was created by sculptor Alexander Proctor in 1919, and is located between Fenton and Friendly hall. It is rumored to have inspired the fictional statue of pioneer Jebediah Springfield in the television show The Simpsons.

In the episode, "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington", Marge says that they live on the east coast which would mean that the Simpsons don't live in Oregon. However, in You Only Move Twice Hank Scorpio writes a letter saying that "If you're ever on the East Coast, drop me a line," implying they don't, in fact, live on the East coast.

Kentucky

In the "Behind the Laughter" episode, a narrator describes the Simpsons as a "northern Kentucky family." In reruns however, this was changed to southern Missouri, deliberately adding to the confusion. There are in fact Springfields and Shelbyvilles in both Kentucky and Missouri. In the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, there is a Springfield, a Shelbyville, and even a Simpsonville within twenty-five miles of each other. However, this episode featured the Simpson family as actors "playing" roles of themselves, and the events depicted on the episode are not recognized as being part of the series' set continuity.

In the official Simpson's Episode guide it states that in the Behind the Laughter episode, Kentucky was revealed to be Springfield's state. As it fails to mention that the episode is a non-canonical one, however, the accuracy of this is debatable.

In a later episode during season 13 (Sweets and Sour Marge), Mr. Burns states they will smuggle sugar in from south of the border to which Homer replies, "Oh, you mean Tennessee?", implying they live in Kentucky. Also, in the episode, Brake My Wife, Please, when Homer breaks out in a singing routine, there is a star on the map on which Homer walks to California. The star is placed geographically in Kentucky.

In the episode "Bart vs. Lisa vs. The Third Grade", the Capitol City Goofball mascot and delegate says "It is time to address our state's flag. This Confederate symbol is an outrage, particularly because we are a northern state." However, this does not mean that the Simpsons could not live in Kentucky, because it was not part of the Confederacy; rather, it was a border state (i.e. a slave state that remained part of the Union during the Civil War).

In "The Italian Bob", Homer gives an old, Italian woman a mug with the word "Kentucky" printed on it, offending the woman.

Also, Springfield's rival city, Shelbyville, is a less common name for a city and only appears in five states that also have a Springfield. Those states are Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. The state that has the shortest distance between these two cities is Kentucky, coming in with the distance of approximately 53.4 miles. It would be mere coincidence if this were the only connection, but Shelbyville, KY is even in the same county (Shelby) as Simpson, KY. Kentucky is also home to Simpson county, located in the southern portion of the state. The county is named after Captain John Simpson, an officer who fought in Battle of Fallen Timbers during the Northwest Indian War, and died in the Battle of River Raisin during the War of 1812. It is possible that Jebediah Springfield may have even been loosely based on the idea of John Simpson.

Florida

According to the video game The Simpsons Hit & Run, the town of Springfield is in Florida, but this could be ruled out in the episode "Special Edna", in which a sign in Springfield shows the distance to Orlando too far for Springfield to be in the same state. There is also evidence to disprove this point in the episode "Kill the Alligator and Run", in which the family vacations to Florida (which Homer refers to as "America's wang") and is prohibited from returning. After the Simpsons are expelled from Florida, Marge and Homer mark that state on a map, which shows only two states remaining that still welcome the Simpsons: Arizona and North Dakota.

In the Treehouse of Horror IX segment "Starship Poopers," where it is revealed that the alien Kang is Maggie's father, a zoom-out sequence places Springfield in Florida. It should be noted that the Treehouse of Horror episodes have no continuity with the rest of the series and are not considered canon.

Another important factor to consider is the mediterranean climate area of Florida. A town in Florida would not have the large amounts of snowfall we see during the Christmas episodes. The absence of any palm trees in Springfield also indicates that the show takes place outside Florida, as palm trees are indigenous to the state.

New Jersey

In one episode, Lisa writes a letter Mr. Burns, and the letter is sent to C. Montgomery Burns, Springfield, New Jersey.

In another episode, it is revealed that Walt Whitman is burried in Springfield's local cemetery. Walt Whitman is, in fact burried in Camden's Harleigh Cemetery in New Jersey.

In the episode "My Sister, My Sitter, and in The Simpsons Hit & Run video game, there is a shopping complex named "Squidport", having a metal (the metalwork much like an overhead traffic sign) arch sign with the name "Squidport" shaped into an arch. Peculiar enough, the complex is almost identical to a shopping center Toms River, New Jersey, the Seacourt Pavilion, bearing an almost identical sign, same font in the lettering sign (same exact style), a similar name, and the two shopping centers have slightly similar architecture.

Midwest

One of the couch gags (which cannot be considered canon) zoomed out and showed the Simpsons' house in Springfield, Illinois. While Springfield, Illinois has a Shelbyville 50 miles to the southeast, and a nuclear power plant 40 miles to the northeast, there has not been any indication that it is 'the' Springfield, and could be coincidental. However, The Simpsons does make a direct reference to the Illinois city; in the episode where Homer is in a graveyard at night digging a plot, discarded dirt covers up the grave of Adlai Stevenson (a prominent Illinois politician and 2-time US presidential candidate, buried in Bloomington, Illinois, 50 miles to the northeast).

The couch gag sequence of The Simpsons episode entitled "The Ziff Who Came to Dinner" again left the location of Springfield something of a mystery. The sequence featured a "zooming out" from the Simpson household to a satellite view, then a solar system view, and so on in a parody of the 1977 documentary short Powers of Ten. The sequence contained plenty of cloud cover, but put Springfield somewhere in the Midwest, probably near the Mississippi River. The latter location is also suggested in the episode "Lisa the Tree Hugger" in which Lisa tries to protect the oldest tree in Springfield. To do so, she climbs a giant sequoia tree to prevent a team from cutting it down. When looking down on Springfield she sees a structure resembling the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (but also the Needle in Seattle, Washington). A large river can also be seen.

In the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail", monorail salesman Lyle Lanley proclaims "I've sold monorail systems to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook! And, boy, it put them on the map!" He then holds up a map of the U.S. where Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook are the only cities shown. Marge then later drives to nearby North Haverbrook (where everybody resents there being a monorail there, despite the sign at the city limits saying "Where the Monorail is KING!"). The map shows North Haverbrook in the Midwest, approximately in Iowa.

In the episode "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield", the Simpsons go to the Ogdenville outlet mall to get a new television. The sign in Springfield indicates that it is only '90 miles' to Ogdenville. When Lyle Lanley holds up the map, Ogdenville is in New Mexico.

In the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington", when it is Lisa's turn to speak, it shows a map where Springfield is in "Illinois".

In the episode "The Springfield Files", Mulder tells Scully that there has been "another unsubstantiated UFO sighting in the heartland of America", referring to Homer's close encounter with an alien; so, for that episode, Springfield was presumably somewhere in the Midwest.

Homer suggests that Springfield is within a state bordering the Great Lakes. He said:

Oh, why did I take it wedding ring off? ... Oh, right! To see if I could skip it across Lake Michigan.

Where Springfield isn't

Mississippi, as Principal Skinner notes that selling kids is only legal in Springfield and Mississippi.

Also, in the episode "Homer Badman" Grandpa Simpson, when hanging a flag with only 49 stars, says, "I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missouri." In addition, during the episode when Abe Simpson regains his driver's liscense, and drives to Branson, Lisa remarks "Branson is a thousand miles from here," which rules out any place in Missouri, counting out the fact the expression could have been sarcasm.

In the episode "And Maggie makes Three," Homer talks to a young shoeshiner that works at his "dream job," or the Bowling Alley. He promises that the young boy will someday make it to California.

In the episode, "Kill the Alligator and Run", the family takes a plane to Florida, so Springfield can't be in Florida. Also, in that same episode, they mark on a map that they are no longer welcome in Florida, which leaves Arizona (ruled out because it smells funny) and North Dakota, and, of course Springfield.

In the episode "The PTA Disbands", a historical re-enactment has the American Civil War soldiers of Fort Springfield wearing Union blue, "heroically" massacring wounded Confederate soldiers in grey uniforms who have come to surrender. As such, Springfield cannot have been in one of the states that sided with the Confederate States of America.

In the episode "Simpsons' Tall Tales", the family is going on a trip to Delaware, and when Homer shakes a fist at the airport ticketholder, the family is kicked out of the airport and opts for train travel. So Springfield isn't in Delaware either.

Many people also believed that Springfield was not in New York state because in one episode, Homer loathes New York. However, Homer only mentions loathing the city of New York, meaning that Springfield could very well be in another part of the state of New York.

Springfield is also not in the south, because when Carl and Lenny are handling nuclear waste, Lenny wonders where thay dump it. Carl says,"Probably in one of those southern states where the governer's a crook."

In summary, Springfield is not in: Delaware, Florida, Arizona, North Dakota, Mississippi, Missouri, California, or any southern state.

West of the Mississippi

In several episodes the radio and television stations in Springfield use the call sign KBBL. All radio and television station call signs west of the Mississippi River, except for few grandfathered stations, begin with the letter K while stations east of the Mississippi River begin with the letter W. This implies then that Springfield must be west of the Mississippi River because its television station uses the call sign KBBL, television being non-existent at the time of creation of the K and W call sign system, unless the stations in question operate on a dual-license arrangement (an owner of a grandfathered radio station that later received a license for a sister television station), as in KYW-AM radio station and KYW-TV/KYW-DT television stations, in Philadelphia, and KDKA-AM and KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, both of which are in Pennsylvania.

East Coast

Springfield, Massachusetts is referenced by the "Springfield Memorial Bridge" which separates Springfield from West Springfield in the cartoon and in Massachusetts. Another Massachusetts reference is that Mayor Quimby and his political machine have similarities to the powerful Kennedy family.

In episode 3FO6, Mother Simpson, Homer discovers that the tombstone he always thought belonged to his mother actually belongs to Walt Whitman (causing Homer to pummel said tombstone and curse "Leaves of Grass, my ass!"). Walt Whitman is buried in Harleigh Cemetery, in Camden, New Jersey.

In the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Badge", the character Fat Tony drives into downtown Springfield past a highway identification sign that very closely resembles United States Interstate signs, and bears the route number 95. The real I-95 is a major north-south route along the east coast of the United States. It should be noted however, that this was a parody of The Sopranos, which takes place in New Jersey, through which I-95 runs. However, The Simpsons cannot take place in New Jersey, as Homer and Bart must drive extensively to reach the Edison National Historic Site. In the episode Old Yeller Belly, the Amish build a treehouse for the Simpsons, indicating that Springfield is in either Ohio or Pennsylvania. Also, Milhouse's mother mentions Mechaniscsburg; there is a Mechanicsburg in both Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In one episode, Bart's Comet is threatening to strike Springfield. Professor Frink devises a plan in which a rocket is fired at the comet. The rocket is shown being launched from the Springfield Armory, which was established in Springfield, MA during the Revolutionary War, and still exists as a historical museum.

A parody episode of the series Drawn Together places Springfield in Connecticut.

In the episode "New Kids on the Blecch", L.T. Smash is able to drive an aircraft carrier to New York City.

Shown in various episodes inside of Android's Dungeon Comics & Baseball Card Shop is a Boston Red Sox pennant, a hometown baseball team in Springfield, Massachusetts.

West Coast

There is a strong case for the non-existent state being west of the Mississippi River, particularly somewhere on the west coast. This is supported by the facts that:

1. Springfield sits on the ocean, and
2. it has various features that only the west coast has
   • redwood tree(s)
   • mesas
   • a TV station that starts with a K (assuming that the Federal Communications Commission of the Simpsons' universe mirrors the real world FCC.)
   • sunsets over the ocean

Springfield's local radio station uses the call letters KBBL. In the episode "Colonel Homer", the town also has a country music radio station KUDD. "K" as the first call letter usually indicates a radio station west of the Mississippi River, whereas "W" as the first call letter usually indicates a radio station east of the Mississippi River. Most of the exceptions to the rule (such as station KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, KYW in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, WOW in Omaha, Nebraska, or WHB in Kansas City, Missouri) were assigned call letters before this convention was established. It should be noted that in "Homer Alone", the lobby of Rancho Relaxo (located in the Springfield Mountains) plays the radio station "Coma", whose call letters are WKOMA. It is also possible that if the town was located next to the Mississippi River, they could also receive "W" stations on their radio.

Several episodes indicate that Springfield has an ocean coastline. One episode showed jellyfish washing up on Springfield Beach. In another episode Bart, Homer, and the Junior Campers float out to sea during a rafting trip. They are rescued by floating towards an unmanned oil rig which nevertheless features a failing Krusty Burger restaurant. Offshore oil rigs in the United States are found off the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and California. The episode "New Kids on the Blecch" established that oceangoing warships visit and dock at Springfield's harbor. The episode "Simpson Tide" also shows that the submarine Homer is commanding travels west out of the Springfield Harbor into Russian Waters.

The zip code of Springfield on Hans Moleman's drivers' license is 90701, which would place Springfield near Artesia, California. In the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" the Simpson's mail contains the zip code 192005.

Springfield is also served by the Union Pacific.

In one episode, the Simpsons were going to Delaware, while on a train they had to cross the Mississippi, meaning they came from the west.

Other places

Springfield is near a junction of five states (in real life, no such junction exists), yet it borders the ocean; it has a canyon, a desert, and mountains, including the tallest mountain in the United States. (In the episode "King of The Hill", Bart claims the Murderhorn is more than four miles higher than Springfield's elevation. The actual tallest mountain in the United States, Mount McKinley in Alaska, rises less than four miles above sea level.) Plus, the city has a vulnerability to every sort of natural disasters, which no one area would have. Sometimes it snows in Springfield, the town once experienced a hurricane, its ocean coast has an oil platform close offshore, and Springfield's western side (which is three times the size of Texas) is a vast oil field. Springfield is also 2,000 miles away from Arlen, Texas, which Hank Hill said in a brief cameo. A road sign seen in another episode showed Springfield is 678 miles away from Mexico City. That would place Springfield within Mexican territory or in the southern most tip of Texas. Skinner drives Willie's car from Springfield to Orlando, Florida and passes a sign saying Orlando, 2653 miles. The Springfield in this episode has to be in Oregon or California.

Bart After Dark establishes that the series is set near "Baby Seal Beach," which a television reporter says is on the West Coast, which would place the Springfield in that episode in California or Oregon.

Additionally, in Boy-Scoutz N the Hood there is a scene in which Bart, Homer, Flanders, Rod and Todd are almost killed by a tidal wave which would imply they live on either the West or East Coasts. In an earlier episode, it's established that Mexico is just a day trip, meaning that the Springfield in this episode could logically be in California, Oregon, New Mexico or Arizona.

The revelation that Springfield was once entirely in the telephone area code 636 and that chaos erupted when half the town was switched to the new area code 939 does not clarify the situation; area code 636 is in Missouri, while 939 is in Puerto Rico. In another episode, Superintendent Chalmers refers to Springfield Elementary School as "the most dilapidated in all of Missouri", and shocks everyone (viewers and characters alike) by this disclosure, before continuing with "and that's why it was shut down and moved here, brick by brick." There also happens to be a Lake Springfield in Missouri.

There is also evidence that the Simpsons live in Louisiana. During one of the Halloween specials, it is proposed that Kang, a space alien, is the real father of Maggie. When Kang initiates telepathic contact with Maggie, baby Maggie responds by transmitting a signal with her pacifier. As the camera pans away from earth, the concentric radio signals are shown to be emanating from Louisiana. Furthermore, Marge is of French ancestry (her maiden name is Bouvier), so maybe she's cajun.

In an episode where the Simpsons visit a Prep school, Homer says to Lisa that he will pay for her to attend any college in South Carolina.

In the episode where Lisa goes to work with Homer, he points out Springfield Power Plant's location on a map of the USA, it appears to be in a fictional state south of Florida and is given as a place which would really be in the ocean.

A central highway called Highway 401 is mentioned in several episodes. There is a central highway named Highway 401 in the Province of Ontario, Canada, that passes through the City of Toronto. This has also lead to speculation of Toronto being the inspiration to Springfield (or of Springfield, Ontario being the show's location); however as mentioned above, the countless pieces of evidence of Springfield being in the United States automatically disprove this theory. However, Springfield has been shown to be close to the Canadian border, as the Simpsons have made day-trips into Canada, and everybody in Springfield knows the Canadian Anthem.

Various other episodes show travelling characters:

• The episode "New Kids on the Blecch" establishes that Springfield is only a few minutes' sail from New York City by ship.
• The episode "Viva Ned Flanders" (and other episodes in which characters visit Las Vegas) establishes that Springfield is within an easy day's drive of Las Vegas by car.
• The family has been to New York City and Canada by bus.
• In an episode where Homer joins the US Navy reserve, a map shows his submarine's route leaving Springfield on the US Pacific coast.
• Marge is seen driving to Ogdenville, which was shown in the southwest, approximately Arizona.
• Homer is shown driving into Montana, presumably on a short trip.
• The family is shown driving over the Mississippi River en route to Washington, D.C.
• Ned Flanders falls for one of Homer's pranks by going to Montana to meet Jesus by Bus.

Springfield's State

The flag of Springfield's state showed (prior to a redesign contest) a Confederate Battle Flag floating on (or sinking into) a body of water in front of a sunrise, paralleling the controversies surrounding the state flags of Mississippi and Georgia. (The flag had to be redesigned because they live in a "northern state".) The state bird is the potbellied sparrow; the state pasta is bowtie. The state slogan is "Not Just Another State", and the longtime governor is Mary Bailey. The capital of Springfield's state is named "Capital City", and boasts its own Major League Baseball team.

While the name of the state has never been mentioned, Homer Simpson's driver's license shows that the state's abbreviation is "NT". According to producer/director David Silverman, Springfield is in the made-up state of "North Takoma" (a play on North Dakota, perhaps as well as the north end of the city of Tacoma, Washington). The two-letter abbreviation NT is legally used to refer to Canada's Northwest Territories, or Australia's Northern Territory, but it is clear Springfield is in the U.S.. U.S. flags are everywhere in Springfield: note the flag in the opening credits. The episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" supplies not only the abbreviation NT for the state, but also the abbreviation TA (on mail addressed to the Simpsons), and in that same episode it is revealed that Springfield's zip code 192005.

A Reasonable Conclusion?

Springfield as a city (and its state), do not actually exist; rather, Springfield and its incisively observed cross-section of people may be seen as an allegory of The United States itself as a whole. Springfield, in fact, encompasses all of modern America. As a metaphor it thus travels around the states, pushing geopolitical localities off to replace them for the episode or such. It's a wandering state which makes it in effect "Not Just Another State".

See also

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• Evergreen Terrace (The Simpsons)
• List of characters from The Simpsons
• Springfield's state

External links

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• Map of Springfield
• History of Portland, Oregon (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
• The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?
• CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet, location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
• Czech Page

Further reading

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Company towns | Fictional towns and cities in the United States | The Simpsons locations

Springfield (The Simpsons) | Die Simpsons#Springfield | Springfield (Los Simpson) | Springfield (Les Simpson) | Springfield | Springfield (The Simpsons) | Springfield | Springfield (Os Simpsons) | Springfield (Simpsons)